


Whisper of the Heart

by ingenious_spark



Series: Saint Seiya prompts & short fic [203]
Category: Saint Seiya
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Archery, Friends to Lovers, Illustrated Work, Kissing, Long Live Feedback Comment Project, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Masturbation, Mutual Pining, Pining, Slow Burn, cameos by shion aphrodite deathmask and shura
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-18
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-10-20 22:11:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20682737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ingenious_spark/pseuds/ingenious_spark
Summary: Aiolos is gearing up to take over the position of Grand Master of Sanctuary, and hasn't had as much time to spend with his friends. Saga has been taking too many missions, and it's left him tired and injured.Aiolos steps away and takes a moment to take care of Saga. He doesn't dare push their relationship any further, because he values their friendship too much. Saga is much the same way, afraid to take the next step into the unknown.Meanwhile everyone is Sanctuary knows they're both head over heels for each other, and are trying to encourage things along in their own ways.





	Whisper of the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Art by [@koroart](http://koroart.tumblr.com)! Also dedicated to Koko, she's a beautiful human being with beautiful, inspiring art.

Aiolos stared out the window. He could see, faintly, the figure of Saga heading up the hill. He looked tired, from the way his shoulders seemed to be slouched, and the slow, ponderous pace of his gait. Aiolos was worried about him. It seemed like Saga was taking more and more missions, and every time Aiolos saw him now, he had dark circles under his eyes, and more fresh bandages, and he was invariably too busy to stop and hang out. He was either on his way to file paperwork, or giving mission reports, or he was on his way out again.

It didn't help that Aiolos was stepping up his own duties, in preparation for Shion's impending retirement. He had meetings- Athena on Olympus, _ so many meetings _\- and paperwork, mission reports, and ceremonies to attend at Shion's side. He missed getting to sit and eat lunch with Saga, or even just hanging out with him and Kanon in the evenings. 

Kanon had also told him he was worried about Saga. Overworking himself again, _ 'you know how he gets.' _ Aiolos sighed softly.

"Aiolos," Shion's voice was patient, but his tone was that of having tried to catch Aiolos's attention for several minutes. Aiolos turned guiltily away from the window, trying to banish his distraction. Shion was smiling at him fondly. 

"I'm sorry, Master Shion. Please, what were you saying? My mind wandered for a minute." Aiolos said awkwardly. The crow's feet by Shion's dark brown eyes deepened with his smile. 

"Perhaps we should take the rest of the day off. It's a beautiful day, after all, and you've been working very hard. I think we can afford it." He told Aiolos gently, and Aiolos felt a little twist of guilt knot in his stomach. 

"Are you sure? I promise, I can concentrate. I just got distracted." He said lamely. Shion shook his head gently. 

"I'd like to spend some time with Mû. And besides, I haven't seen you hanging out with Saga or Kanon, recently. Like I said, you've been working hard. Please, go take a break." Shion collected the papers they had been working on and slipped them back into the in progress stack. He stood and stretched, before straightening out his soft linen tunic. "I'll tell Ashraqat to cancel and reschedule the last meeting, and tell her to head home too." He mused almost to himself, referring to their secretary. "If you see Saga on your way out, please tell him we don't need his report until tomorrow afternoon." Aiolos stood, nibbling on his lip briefly before nodding.

"Right. Thank you, Master Shion. My best to Mû," he said politely, as though most of the Gold-candidate trainees didn't just live with Shion down at Aries. He then opened the window and jumped out of the third-story edifice, rolling when he landed with a grin as adrenaline flooded through him. After all, he'd seen Saga on his way up. This was the easiest way to intercept him. 

"I have a _ door _, Aiolos!" Shion called out the window after him, sounding thoroughly exasperated. It was clearly rhetorical, so Aiolos only laughed brightly. He careened down the steps perhaps a little more recklessly than he should, but all of his responsibility had gone into his training, and now that he was free he wanted to relax and let loose. 

He caught Saga between Pisces and Aquarius, grinning as bright as the late-afternoon sunshine that washed down around them. Saga looked surprised to see him, or maybe it had been the way he nearly skidded to a stop before him. Aiolis's smile dimmed slightly when he registered fresh bruising, and crusted cuts on Saga's left cheek and bicep.

"Hey Saga," he said gently, with perhaps more tenderness than he had intended. "Palace of the Grand Master is closed for the day. Why don't we head down to Sagittarius and get you patched up?" He offered softly, reaching out a hand to delicately touch the back of Saga's. He wanted to twine their fingers together, wanted to tip forward and pass that insurmountable gap of centimeters and kiss the breath from Saga's lungs. Wanted, wanted, _ wanted _. 

But the last thing he wanted was to damage their precious friendship, so he wouldn't.

"I needed to give my mission report," Saga protested, soft and puzzled. He sounded achingly tired, too, and Aiolos suddenly wanted to hold the Gemini close to his breast and work his fingers through Saga's thick hair until he was a sleepy-eyed, relaxed mess lying against him. It ached sweetly, in time with his heartbeat, until Aiolos managed to gently fold it away once more. 

Instead, he grasped Saga's wrist gently, and tugged him away. 

"Master Shion wanted to go see Mû." He explained gently, before rubbing his head, embarrassed. "I was having difficulty concentrating, too, so Master Shion called it quits for the day. He's probably gone already, so you can sit on your mission report for a day longer." He told Saga, and he deflated with a sigh. 

"Well, if that's the case, I suppose you're right." He said quietly. Aiolos nodded, letting Saga's wrist drop from his fingers, now that the Gemini was walking the right way. 

"Let me see to your injuries, Saga. And I could make you some dinner, too. If you wanted?" He offered hopefully. Saga nodded, tired, pushing a lock of hair behind his ear.

The walk to Sagittarius was quiet, but it was comfortable and companionable. Aiolos and Saga were comfortable in the habit of long years, and didn't need to speak all the time. Saga paused outside the Sagittarius living quarters, staring up at the pink and orange stain slowly creeping over the sky as the sun began to set. He slipped inside and retrieved his first aid kit, letting Saga linger in the warmth of the sunset. 

"Saga, can you take off your armor? I've got some bruise cream here, and bandages." Aiolos said lightly him his return, setting the kit on a low bench and sitting beside it. Saga took off Gemini, and it returned to storage form beside the bench, as he pulled off the training gear he wore under it. Aiolos's mouth went a bit dry at the sight of his well-muscled chest. Saga straddled the bench to give Aiolos a better angle on his injuries, and Aiolos fumbled slightly with the jar of bruise cream. He frowned a little at the expanse of the bruising over his ribs. 

"What happened to you?" He asked, worried. With gentle fingers, he delicately probed the swelling bruising, and Saga grimaced tightly, a muscle in his jaw jumping as he clenched his teeth. 

"There was a rockslide. It caught me off guard." He admitted, voice soft and raspy. Aiolos felt even more worried, pulling on a pair of disposable gloves over his own fingerless ones so he could tend to Saga's injuries. 

"I'm no expert, but I think these ribs may be cracked or fractured. You should probably head down to the Medical Division." He told Saga worriedly. Saga groaned softly. 

"I'm too tired to get all the way down the hill," he muttered, picking at the scabs on his cheek. Aiolos smacked his hand away lightly, while gently smearing the bruise salve over tender skin of his ribs. 

"How were you planning to get down to Gemini then?" He asked, a touch tartly. He hated seeing Saga injured like this. Saga shrugged slightly with the shoulder on his uninjured side. Aiolos's frown deepened. "You'll stay at Sagittarius, then." Aiolos saw Saga open his mouth as though to protest, and Aiolos pulled off his gloves and covered Saga's mouth gently with his fingers. His lips were soft and slightly chapped under his callused fingertips, and Aiolos swallowed thickly. "Please," he said, voice a little hoarse. "Let me help you. I care about you- you're my friend." He said, flustered now. "Let me patch you up and feed you, and tomorrow morning I'll help you get down to Medical." Saga sighed gustily, and Aiolos pulled on a fresh pair of gloves, before pulling out bandages to steady his ribs, bit not put too much pressure on them, lest they snap and puncture something. 

"Thank you, Aiolos. I've been kind of a poor friend, haven't I? Making you worry as I have." He said softly, blue eyes tired in a way Aiolos wished he could patch up the way he was patching up Saga's body. Still, maybe the cure to that was time, and companionship. He needed to believe it would be. 

"You haven't- but if you have, so have I." Aiolos shook his head quietly, pulling out a bottle of disinfectant and some cotton balls to clean Saga's cuts. "Really, I think it's more than we've just been busy, both of us. We've forgotten we need to take breaks so we can keep going." He mused, smiling at the way Saga hissed childishly at the sting of the disinfectant. He put a bandage over the cut of Saga's cheek after smearing on some wound ointment. The scrape on his bicep was much more impressive, parts of it very shallow, and parts deeper. He would have to wrap it, rather than using a simple bandage. He cleaned it out patiently, careful of Saga's quiet winces and flinches, until he could smear ointment over the whole thing and wrap it carefully in bandages. Saga sighed, sliding back into his training gear before Aiolos could protest. 

"I think you have a point, there." Saga said seriously, derailing any argument Aiolos could make about putting the lightweight armor back on. Aiolos blinked at him owlishly. "About us both being too stubborn." His hand drifted to Gemini, steady beside him. The sunset had turned the sky rich and warm, and cast the same light over both of them. Aiolos rested his hand over Saga's looking up at him with worry and poorly concealed adoration. They were intimately close. Aiolos realized, heart skipping a beat, that he could feel the wash of Saga's breath across his own parted lips. His dark brown curls tickled Saga's forehead.

Before he could even think about leaning forward, crashing their mouths together at long last, running footsteps entered Sagittarius. 

"Aiolos, Aiolos!" Aiolia laughed, careening around a pillar. Aiolos leaned suddenly away from Saga, heart pounding, busying himself with packing the first aid kit back away. 

"What is it, Aiolia?" He asked, a little more irritated than he intended. Aiolia smirked, slow and knowing, and now Aiolos's heart was pounding for a very different reason. 

"Oh, did I _ interrupt _ something?" Aiolia asked slyly, and Saga looked over, puzzled. 

"No, he was helping to patch me up. We just finished." Saga said, waving to his cheek as proof. Aiolos willed Aiolia silently to drop the subject. Aiolia giggled.

"Is _ that _ what they're calling it nowadays," he said, sly and cheeky in equal measure, and where had he picked up that turn of phrase? Aiolos surged up from his seat, lunging at his bratty baby brother. Aiolia fled, shrieking with laughter, and Aiolos shook his fist ineffectually at his receding back. 

"You'd best sleep at a different palace tonight, kitten, or you'll be waking up with both hands full of shaving cream and a feather tickling your nose!" He yelled after his fast-fleeing brother. A laugh drifted back to him.

"I'll stay at Aries with everyone!" He shouted back. Aiolos set his hands on his hips and heaved a sigh. Hopefully Shion would forgive him. He turned back around, and thankfully Saga was still looking bewildered, safely oblivious to Aiolos's affections. 

"Come on Saga. I think you need food and an early night." He said, offering a hand. Saga clasped it, and hauled himself up with effort.

"That sounds very nice, thank you." He said with a soft groan, ribs clearly paining him. Aiolos curled an arm around his waist, supporting him carefully inside. It was easy enough to help Saga sit down in one of his kitchen chairs, to strike up a steady stream of chatter about everything and nothing. To sit together when the food was done and laugh over old jokes. To wish Saga a good night as he borrowed some of Aiolos's clothes, brushed his teeth with a spare toothbrush, and braided his thick, luxurious hair for sleep. 

So easy, to silently wish for more, but to be quietly content with what he had. 

* * *

Saga groaned softly, stretching after his late morning run. After his awful mission, he'd been handed two months of enforced medical leave. The ribs had been cracked after all. Now, five weeks into it, he was close to fully healed, and able to go back to light exercise. Luckily, it seemed like Aiolos's schedule had lightened too, so he was able to spend more time with the two people he loved best. 

"Hey, you ready for lunch?" Kanon asked, and Saga grinned at his twin warmly. 

"Yeah, what do we have? I'm starved," he returned, hooking an arm around Kanon's shoulders. Kanon returned the gesture, shaking his head.

"Not much, we need to go grocery shopping. Maybe we could head up to Sagittarius and beg something off Aiolos?" Kanon said slyly, giving Saga a conspiratorial look. Saga unwound himself from his brother with a groan, shiving at his side in mild irritation.

"Stop it you jerk, it's never gonna happen." He muttered, cheeks flaming. Kanon rolled his eyes so hard Saga was mildly impressed they didn't fall straight out of his head. 

"I keep telling you, he's as smitten with you as you are with him. Just go for it already!" Kanon complained, and Saga growled softly, lunging forward quickly and grabbing Kanon in a headlock to viciously noogie him. Kanon yelled, caught between screeching and laughing and another voice chimed in, a laugh as sweet to Saga's ears as the sound of a wind chime on a lazy, breezy afternoon.

"Aiolos!" He said, surprised, looking up, his knuckles stilled in Kanon's hair. Kanon made a muffled comment about being able to identify him by just his laugh, and Saga pressed Kanon's face firmly against his side nervously. "How are you today?" He asked, eyes finally settling on the younger man. Saga very nearly swallowed his tongue. Aiolos wore a pair of loose white pants- the kind from Japan, what were they called, hakama?- and a pair of sandals and absolutely nothing else. He carried a quiver and an unstrung bow, so he was probably on his way to or from archery practice. 

"Headed out to get some practice in!" Aiolos chirped and Saga nodded, still struck silent by Aiolos's beauty. Aiolos paused, then turned back to him. "Do you want to come with? I could teach you how to shoot," he offered, and Saga couldn't help the flush that suffused his cheeks. 

"I should get some exercise clothes on first," escaped his mouth before he could gently turn down the offer, and Aiolos nodded, his smile doubling in brightness. "I'll meet you down at the range, then!" He said, bright and happy, and skipped away. Kanon finally wrestled himself out of Saga's hold, red-faced and panting, and smacked him on the shoulder. 

"That's for trying to smother me, asshole," he griped. "So, a date with your beau. Wear the sleeveless dark blue shirt, the one with the high collar." Kanon advised, straightening out his own shirt. Saga squeaked. 

"But it's so tight!" He said, blushing. 

"Exactly." Kanon smirked. Saga smacked him in the arm, and Kanon rolled his eyes, not taking the bait that would make this devolve into a wrestling match that would give Saga a convenient excuse not to show up. "Go on, Saga. You don't want to keep loverboy _ waiting _." He mentioned slyly, and Saga made a noise like a dying cat. 

"He's _ not _ my loverboy!" He hissed finally, stomping past Kanon grouchily. 

"It's called a mutually unrequited crush. Look it up." Kanon drawled laconically. Saga shot him an irritated look.

"Isn't mutually unrequited an oxymoron?" He pointed out dryly. Kanon rolled his eyes again. 

"Your _ face _ is an oxymoron." He sniped, before giving Saga a firm push between his shoulder blades. "Get going." He said, and Saga finally, grouchily capitulated. 

He wore the blue shirt after all, pulled on a pair of black pants, and hurried down to the archery range. Aiolos was already there, having strung the bow- a longbow, and a big one too. He was taking a shot, and Saga paused to watch the flex of his back muscles, the stretch of those gorgeous, powerful shoulders. He wasn't the only one admiring, either. Aphrodite, Mephisto, and Shura were all perched atop one of the low walls at the back of the range, and were whispering to each other eagerly. Shura had an annoyed quirk to his expression that meant the other two were teasing him somehow. Saga was tempted for a moment to go break them up, but he realized he was only trying to delay this again. He sighed softly, and then headed purposefully up to Aiolos, calling out to him. Aiolos finished his shot and spun to give him a smile like the embodiment of sunlight. 

"Hey, Saga! Give me a moment to collect my arrows, and we can get you started. You should probably get your hair out of the way." He mentioned, and Saga nodded, reaching up and starting a quick braid, fastening it off with a tie he found in his pocket. Aiolos jogged back up and dropped his arrows back in their quiver, keeping one out. "Okay, let's start with how you stand. Can you mirror me, and then I'll make adjustments?" Aiolos asked brightly. Saga swallowed hard, but mirrored Aiolos obediently. 

To his disappointment, the first adjustments were called out to him, and he did his best to adjust accordingly. Finally Aiolos told him to relax.

"You're a natural!" He said brightly, and handed Saga a roll of bandages. "You're going to want to wrap your arms, especially the one you'll be holding the bow with. String burn is never fun." Aiolos waited patiently as Saga did just that, before handing over his bow. Saga took it a little awkwardly. "Let's try it with the bow now," Aiolos said brightly and Saga took a deep breath, taking the arrow Aiolos handed over, and nocking it clumsily. Aiolos stepped closer, fitting himself along Saga's back and Saga's breath caught, his elbow dipping. Aiolos's hand caught his elbow, lifting it back up. "You have to keep this arm up, that's it," he said warmly. He adjusted Saga's forward arm too, hand warm on Saga's wrapped forearm. 

"Look down the shaft of the arrow and draw. You have all the time in the world to make this shot." Aiolos murmured, his voice like silk, his breath tickling Saga's shoulder. Saga tried desperately to focus on the shot, knowing he was blushing. His eyes kept straying from the target to Aiolos's face in his peripheral vision. "Take the shot when you're ready," Aiolos murmured, and Saga forcefully tore his eyes from the curve of Aiolos's cheek and focused on the target. His shoulder ached with the strain of the draw, so he quickly aimed, and released the string. It slapped his forearm hard, and Saga was glad Aiolos had made him at least wrap his arms.

His arrow didn't land in the bullseye, but it did land on the target, if only barely. He grinned, feeling a rush of accomplishment. Aiolos laughed, and suddenly his arms were around Saga's waist as he hugged him. Saga almost shivered at the feel of him along his back, sun-warmed and solid. 

"Yeah, get some!" Mephisto hooted from behind them, and Aiolos nearly sprang away. Saga turned a glare over his shoulder at the teen, but the Cancer only grinned at him cheekily. Aphrodite rolled his eyes and punched Mephisto in the shoulder. 

"Ignore him! You did well!" He called over brightly. Aiolos fetched another arrow. 

"You should keep going!" Shura added his own encouragement. 

"Oh definitely, we'd all like to see Aiolos 'instruct' you," Mephisto announced, before Shura and Aphrodite tackled him off the wall and into the grass. Aphrodite popped back up after a brief, intense scuffle, smiling apologetically.

"We'll let you enjoy your date!" He said, and there was a faint, mischievous glint in his eyes. Saga was sure he was as red as a cherry by now, even as he watched Aphrodite and Shura haul Mephisto away. 

"Oh, teenagers. I wonder if they're projecting?" Aiolos chuckled. It sounded rhetorical, and at twenty-one and twenty it wasn't like they were far out of teenagehood themselves. Saga shrugged awkwardly. If he didn't say anything about it not being a date, he could pretend it was, in the safety of his own mind. "Want to try again?" Aiolos asked, offering another arrow. Saga took it gratefully. 

By the end of an hour, Saga's shoulders and arms were aching badly. When he unwrapped the bandages, his arms were a little bruised beneath them. Still, they were far from his first bruises from training, and he felt quite accomplished for it. About halfway through the session, when Aiolos was satisfied he wouldn't shoot himself in the foot or whatever, he'd summoned the bow from the Sagittarius Cloth, and they'd taken alternating shots. It was really fun. Saga rubbed at his shoulders, as he watched Aiolos unstring his bow and wrap the string neatly. 

"Help me get the arrows?" Aiolos asked, his eyes tracking the way Saga was kneading his muscles. 

"Sure," Saga acquiesced easily. The simple act of retrieving the arrows felt like a bit of a cool-down in itself. Some of them were stuck very deep. Aiolos inspected each one before putting them back in his quiver, and set aside a couple of damaged ones. "Want to get a bite to eat?" Saga offered, and Aiolos looked up from the arrows with a slightly distracted smile. 

"Sounds good. How about Luka's, down in Rodorio?" He offered, and Saga nodded, happiness settling warm in his breast. 

"After a shower and change, meet you there?" He offered and Aiolos glanced down at himself, brown skin gleaming with sweat and shirtless, and laughed.

"Sounds like a plan," Aiolos said easily, and Saga nodded, heading back up the hill to Gemini. He felt like he was floating on a cloud of contentment. Showering was fast, even with all his hair. He didn't bother blow drying the heavy mass, just rebraided it and went, pulling on a simple white t-shirt and tight black jeans, pulling on his half-laced boots and heading back out. 

Luka's was a Venetian restaurant, which was a strange thing for a rural Greek town to have, but the proprietors had connections in Sanctuary. It also doubled as Rodorio's only bar, which meant it got enough business to _ stay _ in business. Saga slipped inside and looked around. When he didn't see Aiolos, he picked a table, a cozy one for two people, and sat down. As he perused the menu, Aiolos came in, and the faint worry that he wouldn't show went quiet in Saga's brain as he waved the Sagittarius over. Aiolos settled in across from him, and Saga focused on not noticing how their knees bumped together intimately under the worn wooden tabletop. 

"Mm, something smells amazing," Aiolos muttered, taking up his own menu.

"Archery works up a surprising appetite for something you do standing still." Saga agreed.

"Oh, we were only standing still because you're a beginner!" Aiolos laughed, and Saga decided he definitely needed to watch more archery sessions. "There's this place in- I think it's Mongolia or someplace? Where people compete in archery with their feet. The dexterity needed for that has to be a life goal for me. There's also mounted archery, and I've been working on mid flight archery!" Aiolos looked so enthusiastic that Saga felt all warm and gooey inside. Also, that was ridiculously impressive. 

"I think you can do it," he said encouragingly. "What were you thinking of getting to eat?" Saga asked, and Aiolos glanced back down at the menu. 

"The risotto al nero di seppia looks good." He said, almost tripping over the Italian. Saga squinted at the menu until he located the item in question, his own Italian not so great. Squid ink risotto? That- sounded really weird, if he was being honest. 

"I think I'll stick with the rixi e bixi." Saga said cautiously, naming a different risotto recipe, with pancetta, onions, and peas. Aiolis nodded affably. "Did you want to split an appetizer? The baccala mantecato sounds good. Or interesting, at the very least. Creamed cod, with olive oil and spices, served with grilled white polenta." He read off the menu. Aiolis perked up.

"Yeah, sure! Sounds good!" He said, and decisions made, Saga waved a waiter over. They ordered, getting a glass of white wine each as well. The talk turned easy, Saga asking about Aiolos's progress towards Grand Mastership, and Aiolos checking in that Saga hadn't been overworking himself again. 

It was so _ easy _, their rapport. Saga could see why people often mistook them for a couple. He sighed softly, distracted mid sentence. Aiolos looked at him curiously, but their appetizer arrived before he could ask. Before Saga could break his silence. The cod dish was very good, and their wine light and crisp. Saga felt like time was meaningless, or as though it had stopped, to allow them a warm corner of laughter and companionship over good food. 

Their main dishes arrived, and Saga was distracted by the utter inky-blackness of Aiolos's dish. It smelled just like any other fish-based dish would, but the color felt inherently suspicious. Aiolos laughed at whatever expression he was making, and Saga pouted at him. 

"You can't judge a dish having never _ tried _ it Saga," Aiolos said encouragingly. Saga begged to differ, but held his peace for now. Then Aiolos scooped up a spoonful and held it out to him, a hand cupped under it to avoid dirtying the table, and Saga reared back a little. Aiolos laughed again. "Try it. It doesn't taste weird, I promise. If you don't mind squid, you won't mind this dish." 

"I've never been a huge fan of it. It's awfully chewy." Saga said cautiously. 

"This isn't that bad, I promise," Aiolos shifted the spoon a little closer, black-dyed broth dripping into his palm. Saga sighed. Aiolos wasn't going to let this go. He steeled his courage and leaned forward, steadying Aiolos's hand with his own, before quickly taking the bite. 

It wasn't actually that bad. Pretty good, even. A deep, fishy flavor with some odd, earthy notes. Saga swallowed, looking thoughtful, and nearly choked when he saw Aiolos lick the broth from his palm. 

"It's not that bad," he allowed, and Aiolos laughed, rolling his eyes a little. Aiolos took another bite, and Saga was suddenly transfixed by the thought that Aiolos was putting his mouth on the same spoon that Saga had just used. That Aiolos had been using before, as well. They had just shared a very indirect kiss. "Um, would you like to try mine?" He offered shyly. Aiolos looked up and grinned. 

"Sure!" He agreed, and Saga repeated Aiolos's motions, offering Aiolis a spoonful. He ate it and nodded, grinning. 

"Yeah, that's good too. To be honest, I don't think I've found a dish I don't like here?" He said thoughtfully. Saga cocked his head.

"Do you come here often?" He asked curiously. He'd only been here a few times. Most of the time on a day off he would venture all the way into Athens, rather than stick around Rodorio. 

"Sometimes! Shion likes doing lunch meetings here. The wine selection is _ amazing _." Aiolos offered, and Saga nodded. They lapsed into comfortable quiet as they ate, and Saga dwelled wistfully on how this really did feel like a date. Should he say something? Could he even bring himself to? It was difficult to tell. 

They finished their food, regretfully refused dessert, and settled the bill. They walked slowly back to Sanctuary together. Saga didn't want this moment to end. He stared from the corner of his eye at Aiolos's hand, hanging freely so close to his own, and wanted so badly to clasp it in his own. 

"What's on your mind?" Aiolos asked suddenly, and Saga startled. The question was so sudden that he couldn't control his automatic response. 

"I want to hold your hand." He said, and stared at Aiolos with wide, almost frightened eyes. Aiolos met his stare with equally wide, startled eyes, and then Saga bolted, running all the way back to Gemini, and slamming the door behind him, panic making him uncommonly fleet-footed.

"I'm a fucking idiot." he moaned, sliding to sit on the floor and cradling his head in his hands. He really screwed it up this time, after so long keeping the secret.

* * *

Aiolos stared after Saga with a pounding heart, a hand lifted in an abortive motion to catch Saga. To keep him with Aiolos.

"Wait," he said, far too late in the early evening air. "Come back," he mumbled uselessly. Had that meant what he thought it did? It must have, right, or why else would Saga run away like that? Who could he ask that wasn't Saga? 

…Kanon, of course. Aiolos ran off, looking for the other Gemini. Where would be be? Maybe down at Aries with everyone else? Though- there was an easy way to do this. He closed his eyes and concentrated, calling out for Kanon with his mind. He got a brief jumbled image back- loud noises, bright lights- The cheerfully yellow shape of Pac-Man, eating little dots. Kanon was at the arcade. Aiolos headed there as fast as he could. 

He found Kanon at the Pac-Man cabinet in their favorite arcade, muttering a steady stream of swearwords to himself as he played. It looked like he was trying to beat a high score. Aiolos lingered, bumping Kanon's shoulder enough to signal he was here, but not enough to break him out of the zone. Soon enough, Kanon crowed in triumph, finally taking his hands from the controls and shaking out his fingers. Aiolos peered over his shoulder- the top high score was now his again. 

"Good job!" He called over the noise of the arcade, and Kanon turned to him, nodding towards the exit. Aiolos was glad to get out of the sheer wall of sound that was the arcade. Normally he didn't mind it that much, but right now he was feeling pretty off. There was a café right across the street, and they both ordered some sweet, milky iced coffee. 

"So, what snag have you hit with my brother?" Kanon asked dryly, and Aiolos felt a little insulted. Kanon was his friend too, and he hung out with Kanon a lot without it being about Saga. 

"I could just want to see you," he pointed out mulishly.

"You could, but you're making the confused pouty face, and you just spent like the whole afternoon and part of the evening together. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong." Kanon said dryly. Aiolos always forgot how sharply analytical Kanon could be, always hiding it under his playful, mischievous attitude. 

"You're not wrong. But I do like spending time with you. You're my friend too, not just a resource into understanding Saga." He insisted sincerely. Kanon's smirk melted into a small, genuine smile. 

"I know." He said, reaching across the table to briefly squeeze Aiolos's hand. "What is the problem, though?" 

"Incurable gossip," Aiolos accused lightly, and Kanon shrugged, a cheeky smirk settling on his face. "Well…" Aiolos traced a finger through the condensation on his glass, and took a sip, before realizing he was stalling again. "Saga told me he wanted to hold my hand, and then he ran away so fast I couldn't even catch him. That has to mean more than him just being embarrassed, right? I mean, who runs away after that? It's so… innocent. But this is also Saga. He could just have been embarrassed. He's remarkably sensitive." 

"Not that sensitive," Kanon interjected dryly. "Look. It's not my place to tell you anything. But if you think you have a chance, I don't think it's just in your head. Go for it, okay? Your friendship is strong enough to survive this if it doesn't work out, okay? Just remember to _ talk _ to each other." Kanon took a sip of his coffee and leaned back in his chair. Aiolos thought about it, mindlessly drinking his own coffee. 

"…you're right." He said, firming his resolve. He set his empty glass down with a decisive clink, ice rattling. 

"I know I am," Kanon grinned at him, insufferably smug. Aiolos rolled his eyes. 

"Thanks for agreeing to pay for my coffee, Kanon." Aiolos said sweetly, standing up and darting off, Kanon's cry of outrage music to his ears. He got up to Gemini pretty quickly, and tried the door of the living quarters, slipping in when it opened to his touch. He tried to calm his racing heart, leaving his shoes by the door and checking the kitchen and living room. Both were empty, and the bathroom door also stood open, so he wasn't there. That left the bedroom, or else Saga wasn't in Gemini. Aiolos swallowed hard, and knocked on the bedroom door. 

"Go away Kanon," Saga called from inside. Aiolos chewed on his lip briefly. 

"It's Aiolos, Saga," he replied softly. "Can we talk?" He asked, hope rising in his chest. There's a moment of silence before the door creaked slightly open, and Saga peered out at him through the crack. His eyes looked bloodshot and red-rimmed, like he'd been crying. Aiolos's heart lurched. "Can I come in?" He asked, aching to hug Saga tightly and tell him it was okay. 

"Yes," Saga's voice was soft and a bit raspy. Aiolos stepped away from the door as Saga opened it, not wanting to crowd him. He slipped in and closed the door after himself quietly, after Saga stepped away and sat down on the edge of the bed. Aiolos hovered for a moment, unsure where to sit, or even if Saga was okay with him sitting, before Saga patted the bed beside him in invitation. He swallowed hard and sat. 

Weirdly enough, it felt a little easier sitting side by side with Saga, not having to look at him. He took a deep breath, folding his hands on his thighs and staring at the creases of his own skin, before getting an idea. He set his hand, palm up, on Saga's thigh. An offering. Aiolos heard Saga's breath hitch, before Saga's warm, callused palm settled slowly over his own, as though Saga were expecting him to pull it away. 

"You can hold my hand whenever you want to, Saga," Aiolos said inanely. He sighed softly and tried again. "I mean. I want you to hold my hand. I want to be the one you go to when you're troubled or sad. When you're happy or you have exciting news I want to be one of the first you come to tell." Why was it so difficult to say the words, but so easy to talk around them? "I want to see you every day for the rest of my life. Well, okay, maybe not _ every _ single day, but you get the point. I want to make you happy, and I want to have stupid arguments with you but always make up again." He was rambling now, nerves making his hands sweaty. He hoped Saga didn't mind. Saga made a soft choked noise beside him, and Aiolos immediately looked at him, heart dropping. Had he made Saga cry again?

The answer ended up being yes, he had, but Saga also kissed him, so Aiolos distantly thought they must be good tears. He cupped Saga's face with his free hand, kissing back eagerly. His heart soared, and they ended up falling back against the bed, kissing each other fervently. 

Aiolos broke the kiss, finding himself above Saga, hips settled between his thighs, and laughed softly, because at the angle they were in, his legs were hanging awkwardly in the air. 

"I love you," Saga told him earnestly, as Aiolos tenderly wiped the tears from Saga's cheeks. Aiolos smiled down at him, incandescent with joy. 

"I love you too," he said warmly, words easy now. Saga giggled a little, and they shifted around so they both lay in the middle of the bed. Their hands were still clasped and they were staring at each other in a way Aiolos vaguely suspected Kanon would declare soppy. The thought fled as soon as it had arrived though, and he kissed Saga again. Saga kissed back eagerly, his tongue shyly darting out to trace Aiolos's lower lip. Aiolos giggled and let his own tongue chase Saga's back into his mouth. The air filled with the soft, slick sounds of kissing as they tried to memorize the corners of each other's mouths. Aiolos freed his hands in order to clasp Saga's hip in one, the other stroking at Saga's muscled chest through the thin white fabric of his t-shirt. Aiolos's kisses wandered from Saga's mouth, across his jaw. He nipped gently at Saga's earlobe, relishing in the breathy gasp he got from that. Saga's hands clutched him close, and he tipped his head to the side.

"So beautiful," Aiolos whispered breathlessly, before nipping at his throat, unable to resist leaving a blooming red mark on his fair skin. Saga moaned at that. 

Saga's hands scrambled for the clasp of Aiolos's jeans, at the same time as Aiolos decided to take off Saga's shirt. Saga huffed out a breathless laugh, pushing open Aiolos's jeans before allowing Aiolos to pull his shirt off. Saga repeated the process with Aiolos's shirt, and Aiolos waited until he got it off before fumbling open Saga's jeans. They couldn't keep their mouths or hands off each other, stroking and kissing. They both shoved their own jeans and underwear down enough that they could get their cocks free and ground against each other. Aiolos caught their moans in another kiss, aching and desperate. They managed to smack their hands against each other, before laughing and readjusting. Aiolos wrapped his hand around both of them, and Saga fitted his fingers between Aiolos's. 

Their strokes were a little off-rhythm at first, but they adjusted quickly. Aiolos kissed Saga eagerly, free hand catching the back of his neck. The soft, slow slide of their hands, the branding line of heat that was Saga against him- it was driving him to the edge too quickly. He couldn't feel embarrassed about it though, especially when he skimmed the tip of Saga's cock with his thumb and collected the pearly precum gathered there. Saga's hips gave an eager little jerk at that, and he laughed into Saga's mouth. Neither of them would last long at this, but it was perfectly, gloriously fine. 

As their breathing became more ragged, their kisses were more messy, as they pressed mouths to skin and just breathed. Their hands sped up, maybe a little clumsily, but they were so close. Right there, one chasing after the other, though Aiolos didn't know who was chasing whom. They came almost simultaneously, jerking and grinding against each other, gasping into each other's mouths, heat spilling between them. Saga shuddered and untangled his hand from Aiolos's in order to clutch him tightly. Aiolos lets his grip go slack before resting his dirtied hand against Saga's hip. He tipped their foreheads together and closed his eyes, enjoying their mingled breathing. 

"So uh, wanna go on a date with me?" Aiolos asked, a little awkwardly, after their breathing had slowed down. Saga laughed at him softly.

"You already did, you lovely fool." He pointed out, voice a little rough from their activities. Aiolos thought over their day together and laughed too.

"You're right. Still, I want to date you." He said warmly. Saga kissed him lightly. 

"And I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I think we can fit in some dating in there." Saga pointed out. Aiolos laughed, conceding the point. 

"You're right, again. Okay." He kissed Saga back, lingering but chaste. Saga snuggled in, and Aiolos cuddled close. The rest of their lives sounded like a good plan indeed.

**Author's Note:**

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